Egg washer

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR SUBJECTING LARGE NUMBERS OF EGGS TO A WASHING AND SCRUBBING OPERATION, THE PROVISION OF: A WASH TANK HAVING SIDES AND A SLOPING BOTTOM, THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SIDES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY TO FORM OVERHANGING EXTENSIONS, SAID TANK AND EXTENSIONS BEING PROVIDED WITH SUPPORTS TO FORM A BASE; INWARDLY EXTENDING TRACKWAYS CARRIED BY THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SIDES OF SAID BASE TO ROLLABLY SUPPORT UPPER AND LOWER LAYS OF A CONTINUOUS ROLLER CONVEYOR ABOVE SAID TANK; A CONTINUOUS ROLLER CONVEYOR HAVING ITS ENDS MOUNTED ON SAID OVERHANGING EXTENSIONS, SAID CONVEYOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED, TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ROLLERS ADAPTED TO ROLL ON SAID TRACKWAYS, EACH ROLLER BEING PROVIDED WITH ALTERNATELY LARGER AND SMALLER DIAMETER SECTIONS, THE ROLLERS HAVING A YIELDING BUT SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-IMPERVIOUS SURFACE; DRIVING MEANS CARRIED BENEATH ONE OF SAID OVERHANGS AND OPERABLY CONNECTED TO THE CONVEYOR FOR DRIVING THE SAME; A BRUSH HOUSING REMOVABLY POSITIONED ON SAID BASE ABOVE SAID TANK AND CONVEYOR; A BRUSH ASSEMBLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND COMPRISING A RIGID FRAME HAVING LONGITUDINAL SIDE MEMBERS AND A BRUSH MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME, SAID BRUSH MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BRUSH ELEMENTS CARRYING DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING FLEXIBLE FIBERS, THE ENDS OF THE FIBERS LYING IN A VIRTUAL PLANE PARALLEL TO THE TOP OF THE ROLLER CONVEYOR BUT SPACED THEREFROM; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AQUEOUS FLUID FROM THE WASH TANK TO BETWEEN SIDE MEMBERS AND ABOVE THE BRUSH MEANS OF SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLY; PUMP MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID FROM SAID TANK TO ABOVE THE BRUSH MEANS OF THE BRUSH ASSEMBLY; MEANS CARRIED BY THE HOUSING FOR IMPARTING TO SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLY A CIRCULAR MOTION IN A VERTICAL PLANE PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID CONVEYOR, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED, PARALLEL YOKE STRAPS RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO EACH LONGITUDINAL SIDE MEMBER OF THE FRAME OF SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLY, ECCENTRIC MEANS CARRIED BY THE HOUSING AND OPERABLY CONNECTED T SAID YOKE STRAPS; MOTOR AND DRIVE MEANS ON SAID HOUSING FOR DRIVING SAID ECCENTRICS IN PHASE IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND SPEED AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF THE YOKE STRAP CNNECTIONS TO SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLY: A BLOWER CARRIED ABOVE THE CONVEYOR ON THE OVERHANG AT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID CONVEYOR FOR SUBJECTING EGGS ON SAID CONVEYOR TO A CURRENT OF AIR COUNTER TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE CONVEYOR; A THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED MEANS FOR HEATING AQUEOUS FLUID IN THE WASH TANK; AND MEANS FOR DE-ENERGIZING THE PUMP MEANS WHEN THE ROLLER CONVEYOR DRIVE MEANS IS STOPPED.